Posts Tagged ‘Y Blog’

Y no pump?

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

By using single material packaging we make recycling easy. Packaging with various components made from different materials (Like PET bottles with polypropylene closures, tubes, and pumps that have spring mechanisms inside the tubes) makes recycling difficult. According to Wikipdedia’s blurb on plastics:

“recycling plastics has proven difficult. The biggest problem with plastic recycling is that it is difficult to automate the sorting of plastic waste, and so it is labor intensive. Typically, workers sort the plastic by looking at the resin identification code, though common containers like soda bottles can be sorted from memory. Other recyclable materials, such as metals, are easier to process mechanically.” Click here to read the rest of the article.

 

The simplified one-material, renewable aluminum packaging of Eco-Nature Care™ facilitates easier recycling and minimizes waste.

We hope that you will make the small sacrifice of being without a pump in the spirit of “less is more”!

 

Mike and Marissa

 

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Y do we list allergens in our essential oils?

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Y do we list allergens in our essential oils? Because we know they are there and we feel obligated to raise the awareness of those who have allergies.

I (Marissa) am allergic to cashews. They make me puffy, itchy, red, and nauseous. While puffy pouty lips can be sexy, having an Angelia Jolie pucker on only one side of my mouth is anything but. There have been times that I’ve had trail mix or baked goods that might list “nuts” as one of the ingredients.  I am fine with almonds, walnuts, and even the common allergen peanuts, so in whole, I am not allergic to “nuts” but instead am allergic to a specific nut.  This does not mean that nuts or even cashews are bad but cashews are bad for me. Along these lines, we want you to understand that essential oils are not bad but not all of them are right for everyone.

Here is a link with some of the most recent research regarding essential oils: Cosmetics By Design. 

“Cosmetics Compact brings you highlights of the sites’ top science. This week, essential oils are in the spotlight as a Swedish researcher suggests they can become allergenic compounds on contact with air or skin enzymes.”

While we have already started to receive some negative feedback on our post we feel it is our obligation to share with consumers the potential allergens in essential oils. This is no different than sharing gluten, peanuts, or any other allergens in your product. We also continue to use pure essential oils as our natural fragrances. We are not telling people to not use essential oils — we use essential oils — and they are not bad. We just want to be upfront and sensitive for people with allergies.

 

As Sy Simms would say:  ”an educated consumer is our best customer”.


-Marissa and Mike

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“Y” Blog

Monday, April 20th, 2009

We get a lot of “why” this or why that. To answer these, we will sometimes refer to our blog as the “ Y” blog. Why we are not organic and are “just natural“?  When the USDA placed standards on organic foods they never ever thought of personal care.  This lack of guidelines has caused the name to be more important that the ingredients.  Basically, the name can say they are organic but the product does not have to be. Very confusing to say the least.

While there is a handful of legitimate Organic Personal Care Products like Pangeia,  from my experience the vast majority are water based surfactant products with only 1 to 8% organic ingredients their ingredients.  They might rationalize they are organic because they reconstitute water with organic aloe vera powder or use run off from organic oils like hydrosols.  The fact is most shampoos, hand soaps, and bath gels are 70% water.  How can water be organic?

The Organic Consumer Association has taken an active role in trying to make changes in organic labeling.  While it would easier for the consumer if there were clear guidelines for personal care products it is my opinion that will never happen. We will never have clarity on what is or what is not organic until the gatekeepers  (retailers) take an active role in challenging the authenticity of the organic claims.   At the same time it is important for consumers to ask for full disclosure from the retailer and not the manufacturer since they make the decisions of what is on their shelves and what is not. 

Hopefully this answers  “Y” we are not organic. 

 

-Mike (President/Founder) 

 

If you have a question that is not listed in our FAQ section and you would like us to answer it in a future “Y” Blog please let us know by emailing us or by leaving a comment here on our blog. 

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